


Save What Has Been Lost

by Sportscandycollective



Series: A Series of Tumblr Requests [4]
Category: LazyTown
Genre: Angst, Blindness, Deal, Did I mention this fic is pretty sad, Established Relationship, Fae & Fairies, Guilt, Heavy Angst, M/M, Magic, Regret, Sacrifice, Sad Ending, Tumblr Ask Box Fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-29
Updated: 2018-01-29
Packaged: 2019-03-11 05:22:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,048
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13517448
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sportscandycollective/pseuds/Sportscandycollective
Summary: From @margiepm on Tumblr: SEND IN A WORD: blind , sacrifice Writers choice on otp





	Save What Has Been Lost

Sportacus slowly jogged his way towards the billboard, passing around it to reach the familiar hatch lid.

Slowing to a halt, he checked over the bundle in his arms: a bouquet of purple posies, a box of grocery store chocolates, and a “get well soon” balloon, which was tied to his wrist. He shifted the flowers, so they weren’t precariously leaning against the crook of his arm, threatening to spill across the ground, before he took a deep breath and sighed.

With himself in order, he energetically rapped his knuckles against the metal lid.

He took a step back, waiting as the pause of silence fell. He tapped his foot lightly against the ground, not wanting to seem impatient.

“The lid is unlocked.” Finally responded Robbie, his voice faint.

Sportacus nodded, despite knowing that Robbie wouldn’t catch that gesture, and after shifting all his items to one arm he carefully lifted the hatch lid open, it clanging against the metal piping behind it. Carefully gripping the side of the ladder, Sportacus descended into the darkness of the pipe, mentally crossing his fingers as he went.

He was hoping with every might in his mind that Robbie’s news would be good news.

It had been a little over three weeks ago when the accident had occurred. The two had only recently begun figuring out the specifics of their relationship, having both come to the realization that they maybe, might, most definitely like each other more than as just friends. It was an awkward yet happy realization, one that filled their stomachs both with butterflies and dread. Neither were exactly sure what would become of their day jobs and their ability to go about their days with this revelation, and it became even less certain once the two tentatively decided to move forward as a sort-of couple.  
It was scary, yet nice. But mostly scary.  
Life and work continued as normal, with the exception of a few additional brushes of the hand and sneaky pecks to the cheek, mixed with their usual exchanges and banter.  
The children knew, of course, about the nature of their relationship, but kept their comments and snickers mostly quiet. They only gave the occasional bit of grief or quip.  
Otherwise, things held the same. Sportacus the hero would defeat the plans of the villain Robbie.  
It was like things hadn’t changed.  
Except they had, and Sportacus and Robbie knew it.  
There was this undercurrent of awkwardness, having to act like they hated each other for the sake of their roles. Even the kids seemed to be buying it less, almost like they too were wondering why Robbie and Sportacus kept up a charade long since expired.  
It was at that point that, after an evening together, the two came to a collective decision.  
“We’ll drop this game, but only after one more scheme. If I’m really going to retire from villainy, I want to go out with a bang.” Robbie had said with a grin.

And boy did he plan a whopper of a scheme. With no less than five cannons, three catapults, a half a dozen nets and pitfalls and an impressive _six_ disguises, Robbie had pulled out every stop to make this last scheme count. His main disguise was as an army general, one who had declared war against all healthy activities and sportscandy. The cannons and catapults were part of his arsenal, and the children didn’t hesitate to take up arms against Robbie’s plan with slingshots, cake, and other assorted items littering the sports park. And once Sportacus arrived to side with the children, it was truly a chaotic mess of projectiles flying and both sides yelling, screaming, and laughing.

The drunken adrenaline of the situation was so much for Robbie that he’d missed the tell-tale sounds of one cannon, the one directly behind him, malfunctioning and jamming.  
And even with someone like Sportacus with his crystal, it was impossible for him to reach Robbie before the cannon creaked and groaned, the nozzle flaring like a burnt sunflower as it jammed and burst in a pressure explosion. The blast shredded the mouth of the cannon and sent metal shrapnel flying at dangerously fast speeds.  
One of those pieces, flying like a bullet, found its mark as it collided with the back of Robbie’s skull, striking and bouncing off the back of his head.  
It struck with such a force that near instantaneously Robbie collapsed to the ground, face forward unconscious, blood oozing from a long gash on the back of his head.  
Instantly the open fire halted, and soon Sportacus was rushing to his side, cradling the villain as he pleaded with the children and grown-ups to call an ambulance while he attempted to slow the blood flow.  
The ambulance rushed Robbie off to the nearest hospital. Sportacus remembered the seemingly endless wait, the pacing around the sterile hospital floors.  
When the doctor emerged, she held a grave expression on her face.  
“Mr. Rotten will be fine. Luckily we got to him quickly and he didn’t lose much blood.” She started. “But…I am a bit worried about the location of the blow. The shrapnel struck him in the occipital lobe, the part of the brain responsible for vision and visual stimuli processing. The impact, we believe, may have inflicted Mr. Rotten with blindness.”  
Sportacus’s heart froze and nearly shattered at the news, his face paling to a ghostly white.  
“B-Blind? Are you sure?” He asked.  
The doctor nodded.  
“But there’s hope. The recovery of sight for patients with Mr. Rotten’s injury is very high. We just request that Mr. Rotten return to us within the next few weeks for further testing and treatment. That’ll help speed along his recovery as well as the retention of his sight.”   
So Sportacus held onto that kernel of hope, even as he first entered Robbie’s hospital room. He hoped he’d never have to see his boyfriend in that state, gauze wrapped around his forehead stained a gradient of red hues.

The weeks succeeding Robbie’s release from the hospital were…testing, to say the least. Robbie’s response to his sustained blindness wasn’t good, though Sportacus couldn’t and wouldn’t blame him. The villain seemed out of it, and whatever energy he did have had vanished. He was cooperative enough as Sportacus helped him around his lair, assisting in the completion of chores and taking his medicine. Occasionally, Sportacus would do small vision checks, and would hide his disappointment when Robbie’s vision seemed to be making no noticeable improvement.  
As the days wore on, Sportacus noticed that Robbie seemed to do less and less. More often than not, the villain kept to his orange chair, his gaze distant and forlorn. He would barely respond to Sportacus’s presence or his attempts to talk. Reminders to eat and drink water were added to Sportacus’s ever growing list of responsibilities. But Sportacus would help both him and Robbie cope with a continued utterance of a simple possibility:  
“The doctor said that your chance of complete sight recovery is high. Just remember, this is all temporary. Don’t lose hope.”  
And so, Sportacus would say this each time he’d visit his villain. Most times Robbie would only respond with a non-committal noise or grunt, but occasionally he’d give a thin smile or nod, along with a kiss to Sportacus’s nose or jaw. Sportacus would then return his gesture with a kiss on the lips.

Sportacus had held a faint hope that he’d meet the villain in a better state, perhaps with Robbie smiling and happy, or at the least out of his chair. Robbie previously said that he’d scheduled another appointment with the doctor, one that would give him a definitive treatment and therapy schedule to help re-acclimate his eyes to their returning vision. Sportacus was hoping for a speedy recovery and, hopefully, a more energized Robbie.  
Once he landed in the lair, however, much of that faint hope evaporated when he noticed the scattered dirty dishes and laundry on the floor. It laid like a breadcrumb trail towards Robbie’s favorite, fluffy orange chair, and he could barely see the man’s arm laying limp against the chair’s arm.  
His ears drooped under his cap as he tiptoed his way closer, dodging piles of laundry and dishes until he finally reached his boyfriend. His face joined his ears once he saw how Robbie buried his face into his other hand, turned away to the right.   
Sportacus, ever so cautiously, reached out towards Robbie and gently tapped his shoulder.  
“R-Robbie? Is everything okay?” He asked.  
A moment passed before Robbie responded, shaking his head.  
Sportacus looked uneasily at him.  
“What happened? What did the doctor say?” He asked.  
Robbie, once again, didn’t verbally answer. Instead, his left hand drifted over and pointed at the phone, whose light was blinking. There was a message on the answering machine.  
Sportacus, nervously, pressed the button on the answering machine.

_*beep*_

_“Hello Mr. Rotten, this is Dr. Maurelli from the East Riverside hospital. I’m calling with the results of our tests from the other day. I’m so sorry to say that the test results were…not good. I’m afraid that your vision loss is permanent, and there’s nothing we can do to restore your vision completely. I’m very sorry. Please call me back if you’d like to discuss further treatment or if you need some recommendations for local counselors to help you get through this difficult time. Again, I’m very sorry – “_

The message was prematurely interrupted as Robbie slammed his fist against the pause button, Sportacus jumping back in surprise.  
Robbie uttered a quiet, low sigh as he retracted his hand and drew deeper into himself.  
Settling down, Sportacus looked sadly at his boyfriend.  
“Robbie, I am so sorry…” He said quietly.  
He was taken by surprise when he heard a snorted laugh from the villain, who also shook his head.  
“It would be my luck wouldn’t it? Only Robbie Rotten would fail to beat the odds at everything _except_ recovering from an easily recoverable injury.” He muttered, uttering another squawked laugh. “Par for the course. Robbie Rotten: the universe’s literal and metaphorical punching bag. Give this man a prize for the _worse fu –_ frickin’ luck in the world.”  
The man chuckled and laughed with barely contained hysterics, his body shaking and drawing further into a curled ball.  
Sportacus began to grow worried, his face paling. He reached out towards Robbie.  
“Robbie – “  
“No! Don’t you even dare!” Robbie snapped, throwing an arm out and readily missing the hero.  
Sportacus recoiled, his eyes widening and his gaze growing sad.  
Robbie panted, his enraged glare directed in the wrong direction as he shakily stood to his feet.  
“I-I don’t want to hear it right now! Don’t you get that this kind of crap just happens to me?! So, I don’t want to hear your faux-inspirational, happy-go-lucky dribble right now because it seriously isn’t helpful!” Robbie growled, tears rolling down his cheeks in fat globs.  
Sportacus felt the pain and hurt in his heart. He tried to fight out his own hurt feelings and reactional anger and instead furrowed his brow. He took a step forward.  
“Please, Robbie, I know you’re upset and you have every right to be. But getting angry won’t solve anything! Please, I just want to help you. You can’t lose hope, we can make this work – “He said as calmly as he could.  
“No! Don’t you get it you stupid, flippity elf! I can’t see! I will _never_ be able to see again! Can’t you shut up and stop your stupid optimistic crap for one moment?!” Robbie snarled, finally snapping his gaze towards the sound of Sportacus’s voice.  
Sportacus shrunk back, his own eyes watering as he desperately fought off his own angered words. He quickly wiped away the few tears and looked sadly at his boyfriend.  
“I-I’m sorry, Robbie.” He responded quietly.  
Robbie recoiled, hearing the hurt words of his boyfriend. His crossed his arms over his chest and turned away, dragging himself back to his chair. He sat down slowly, turning himself away from Sportacus.  
“I-I just…need some time alone. To process this.” He finally said in a near whisper.   
Sportacus began to nod before he stopped, realizing the uselessness of the action.  
“I…I get it. I’ll leave you be then, Robbie.” He said softly, turning away.

Once he reached the ladder, he paused one last time and looked back.  
“I’ll see you later then? Let me know if you need anything.”   
Robbie remained quiet, so Sportacus ascended the ladder with a heavy heart.

\--

“ _Sportacus, it’s 10:45 pm. Aren’t you usually in bed right now?_ ”

Sportacus didn’t look up from his book to respond to his ship.  
“Usually, but not tonight. I can’t sleep yet.” He said tersely, flipping another page.  
“ _May I ask what you’re looking for? My systems have a diverse and expansive database of knowledge in everything magical and non-magical. My sensors indicate you’ve been looking through only books of magical knowledge for the past few hours._ ”  
Sportacus sighed and set aside another book, having not found what he wanted.  
“I need to find a spell that fixes vision. There’s so many healing spells, I thought there’d have to be at least _one_ spell that cures blindness.” He said, picking another heavy tome off the pile.  
“ _I see. Have you had any success thus far?_ ” inquired the ship.  
“No! I can’t find a single thing!” responded Sportacus exasperatedly. “I’ve looked through countless books. I’ve read through advanced spell books for Elven magic, goblin magic, troll magic, faerie magic, and even merpeople magic! Yet…nothing. There’s not a single spell out there that can be used to cure blindness!”  
He looked down sadly at his hands and snapped his fingers. A weak fountain of sparks flowed forth, crackling and fizzing out almost immediately.  
“Then again, even if I did find something, there’s little chance I could even _cast_ those spells. I never did do that well at magic studies.” He said quietly, his ears drooping.  
He sighed and slowly rose to his feet.  
“Perhaps you’re right. I should probably get some sleep. Tomorrow’s another long day.” He said, resigned.

Sportacus waded through the pool of books, idly kicking some to the side. A tower of books toppled over as his ship flipped and lowered his bed. One particular tome toppled and fell to the floor, opening to a random section in its middle.  
He paused, and turned to right the tower of books, when he stopped, gazing upon the passage the book opened to.  
He picked up the tome, recognizing it as his glossary of magical creatures both archaic and modern.  
“Bog Faeries: Powerful magic beings from the faerie family. Once beautiful and lovely meadow fae, the darker parts of the woods and human pollution have corrupted these faeries to become these horrible abominations. While they do possess the power to grant any wish, the cost is usually terrible and great. Interactions with these powerful magic users is highly advised against.” He said carefully, scanning the passage.  
He lowered the book, his eyes widening as he thought carefully.  
“ _Sportacus, I believe I know what you’re thinking, and I advise you against pursuing such an action_.” Warned the ship.  
Sportacus, at first, didn’t respond. He read over the passage one more time and glanced at a small map included in the book. One of the locations was a mere two hours away from LazyTown by airship.  
“ _Sportacus,_ please _, don’t go. My databases indicate that past interactions with bog faeries have all, 100% conclusively, ended terribly for the individual._ ”  
Sportacus looked up at the ship’s ceiling.  
“But this could be our only shot! If there’s no other magic that can help Robbie, maybe this bog faerie can?” He said.  
“ _Sportacus, this course of action is highly unnecessary. Robbie will eventually complete his grieving and accept this course of fate. You don’t need to do this._ ”  
Sportacus looked down slowly at the book, biting his lip. He glanced at the illustration one more time before he nodded, shutting the book closed.  
“Maybe I don’t, but I want to. I’m a hero, and heroes don’t give up the chance to help someone if they need it, no matter how dangerous the trip.” He said, looking determinedly at his pilot’s chair.  
As he crossed the room, the ship raised a panel of the floor, blocking Sportacus’s path.  
“ _Sportacus, as your ship’s A.I., I’m not supposed to intrude. But I_ beg _you, please do not consult this bog faerie._ ” It said more sternly.  
Sportacus paused, considering the ship’s words. He pulled a small photo from his vest of him and Robbie. Robbie was smiling happily in the photo.  
Closing his eyes, he stuffed the photo back into his pocket.  
“If I stand by and do nothing, yes, Robbie will eventually come to accept his blindness. But even if he does, I saw how he looked when he got the news. I don’t want to risk never seeing him smile again.” He said quietly, before he looked up firmly at the ship. “So, don’t try and stop me. It won’t work.”  
The ship paused, hesitating a moment, before it slowly and reluctantly lowered the floor panel, allowing Sportacus to pass.

Sportacus flipped into his seat and started up the engines, pedaling his way towards the distant mountainside.  
With any luck, he’d reach the bog lands by midnight.

\--

Sportacus dropped down into the misty and marshy lands, feeling the ground give and squish under his boots as he tromped along.

The air was musty and damp, smelling of petrichor and rot. Its pungent odor stung his nose as he walked carefully around rocks and brambles. Once he was certain he’d walked a decent distance from his ship, he took a strong stance and yelled loudly into the night air.  
“Perisorush! I am Sportacus Ten of the sports elves! I come to make a deal with you!” He announced loudly, feeling slightly awkward using his formal title.  
The air remained still, silent and heavy. A dragonfly buzzed past Sportacus’s ear.  
Then, suddenly, the earth itself shifted and groaned. The rocks and brambles near Sportacus’s feet crawled and rushed forward, joining the progressively growing spiral of mud, moss, and grasses. Sportacus took a step back as the towering spiral thickened and solidified, forming a strange, snake-like monstrosity of earthen material. The brambles formed a sort of retainment rope around the viscous being, barely containing the dripping mud and stale rainwater. The rocks mixed into the brown slurry, some forming the sort of buttons near the creature’s dead grass collar, like a wilted sunflower.   
The being, now fully formed, turned its glowing eyes towards Sportacus, its light boring right into his.  
Sportacus gulped, but tried to not let his face betray his terror.  
The bog faerie lowered its eyes and slunk forward, an arm made of rotted wood extending from its side.  
“ _Well now, what do we have here?_ ” The faerie croaked, as it swirled and curled in a wide circle around Sportacus, trailing dirt and sludge in its path. “ _It appears I have a visitor. And what’s this? It must not be any visitor, but a_ sports elf. _Yesssss,_ ”  
It hissed and leaned closer, drawing towards Sportacus’s ear.  
“ _I can absolutely_ taste _the magic emanating from you. It’s quite deliciousssss._ ” It growled with a low chuckle.  
Sportacus steeled his nerves and furrowed his brow.  
“I-I’ve come to make a deal with you, Perisorush.” He reiterated.  
“ _So I understand._ ” Purred the faerie, as it slithered towards a low row of dead brush. “ _Might I make a guesssss? Perhaps you desire power? Wealth? Ahh, I believe you might desire greater strength, to make the mortals bow to your wim?_ ”  
“No, none of that.” Said Sportacus with a disapproving look. “I’m not here to wish for myself. I’m here to make a wish for someone else.”  
“ _Ohhh, an altruistic one. This is far more interesssssting._ ” Said the faerie, grinning its teeth made of broken stones.  
Sportacus pulled the picture from his pocket and presented it to the faerie.  
“My boyfriend Robbie was injured in an accident. He’s alive, but he’s permanently blind now. I want you to restore his sight.”  
The faerie pondered the photo, snatching it from Sportacus’s grip and looking over the image.  
“ _Yessssss, I could do that. I can do that quite readily_.” It said after a moment’s thought.   
It grinned a slimy grin.  
“ _But, I believe you out of anyone else understands that such powerful magic doesn’t come free. There’s a price that must be paid._ ”  
“And I’m ready to pay it. If you want gold, I can get you gold. If you want powerful elixirs, I can get you those too. Just name it.” Sportacus said determinedly.

Sportacus, admittedly, wasn’t ready for the faerie to rise up, pebbles dropping from its body, and utter such a foul and deep laugh that it shook the trees and sent birds fluttering fearfully to the cloud layer.

“ _Ahh, as if I would ask for such trivial things. You amuse me, Sportacus Ten._ ” The faerie finally said, before it surged forward, its face mere inches away from Sportacus’s.  
“ _Nooo, such a price is too low for what you ask of me. And I do not request such simple, material things. Nooo, I instead subscribe to a human phrase I heard some time ago. I believe it goes, ‘an eye for an eye’?_ ” It hissed with a Cheshire grin.  
Sportacus’s face paled.  
“ _I usually, in return for me restoring your beloved’s sight, require you to sacrifice yours. For the rest of eternity. Fitting, is it not?_ ” taunted the faerie.  
It rose up and sighed.  
“ _But, you are lucky. I happen to hold a slightly chivalrous ssssspirit for you pathetic sports elves. You see, one of your kind assisted me many centuries ago. She saved my long-lost beloved from meeting my very fate, and as such I hold a sizeable debt to your people._ ” It said softly, looking longingly at the sky.  
It directed its attention back to Sportacus.  
“ _So, I shall be oh so_ generous _and instead give you a choice. You may choose a sense or ability you’d be willing to sacrifice for all of eternity, in exchange for the restoration of your beloved’s sight. So, Sportacus Ten of the sports elves, what do you offer me?_ ” grinned the faerie, as it extended its rotted hand towards Sportacus.  
Sportacus looked down, thinking carefully over his options. He had to give up a sense or ability, but what?  
Hearing? No, he didn’t think that he could live without the ability to hear. Plus, his job as a hero would be greatly hampered by the inability to hear. How could he hear someone’s cry for help?  
Taste or smell? As terrible as it would be to lose either sense, he also didn’t want to risk the faerie denying his bargain. Perhaps it’d see Sportacus’s offering as too low and disappear, leaving Sportacus in the same spot as he was before.  
Touch? Sportacus wasn’t even sure how’d that work and didn’t want to know.  
His athleticism? No, that would be as bad as losing his hearing.  
An ability he barely used? He didn’t think a faerie like this one could be easily fooled.  
“ _Tick tock, Sportacus Ten. I am not a patient faerie, and I could easily change my mind on my graciousness._ ” Said the faerie with a dark look.  
“I-I’m thinking…” Sportacus said annoyedly, tapping his forehead. He was coming up blank, and all he could think about clearly was Robbie. He had to do this for Robbie, but he also had to be smart about his decision.

“ _Can’t you shut up and stop your stupid optimistic crap for one moment?!_ ”

Sportacus stopped.  
His heart fell as he realized what his best choice would be, but would it? Oh, he knew that Robbie would be angry, and he didn’t want him to think he’d been so hurt by his comment that he’d make such a sacrifice. But on the other hand, all his other choices would either not be enough or would seriously be a detriment to how effective he was as a hero.  
His mouth was dry and his eyes watered as he finally looked up at the faerie, trying his best to be as brave as possible.  
“I’ve decided my wager.” He said seriously, offering his hand. “I’ve decided – “  
“ _Wait, do not tell me. Pleassse, I shall read your magic. It will tell me everything I need to know._ ” Urged the faerie.  
The bog faerie grinned a toothy grin. His splintered and decayed hand gripped Sportacus’s firmly, and its palm glowed a sickly yellow. It felt the magic and read Sportacus’s thoughts, listening to the wager.  
It hummed and nodded.  
“ _An interesting proposal, but I accept. You have a deal_.” It said, looking wickedly at the hero.  
Sportacus took a deep breath and squeezed his eyes shut as the faerie’s magic glowed brighter and grew bigger, bathing the entire clearing in its light.

“ _Pleasure doing business with you, Sportacus Ten._ ” The faerie hissed in delight.

\--

Robbie hadn’t slept well that night.

Mix in the intense emotions of the day that left him physically and mentally drained with the guilt he felt over blowing up at Sportacus, and that would definitely spell out a restless and sleepless night.

As he finally awoke, blinking his eyes and staring at the dark ceiling of his room, he thought over the conversation he and Sportacus had had for the two-hundredth time in 24 hours.  
He still felt disgusting and awful.  
He should’ve never snapped so terribly at Sportacus, especially since he’d been trying to help.  
True, he was trying to help through his sickeningly optimistic and perky fashion (one that Robbie didn’t find particularly effective), but he had still tried.  
And Robbie shot him down for that.  
Throwing his legs over the side of his bed, Robbie came to a decision as he rubbed the sleep from his eyes.  
“I have to find Sportadork. Maybe if I’m careful I can find my way to that sportscandy stand he likes. I could buy him an a…an ap…” He started, choking back the nausea building in his throat from the mere thought of sportscandy. “…one of those red fruits he likes.”  
He dragged his way towards the door, not bothering to turn on his room’s lights (if he couldn’t see, what was the point?). He threw open the door to his hallway and was immediately greeted by the far too bright light of his hallway lights.  
“Augh! Geez, did I leave the lights on?” He grumbled, shielding his eyes.

He froze.

He’d… _seen the lights in his hallway_.  
Shakily, he lowered his hands, allowing the blinding light to pass to his eyes again. He squinted; indeed, he saw how bright they were. He also saw his hands, darkened in the lighting, lowering from his face.  
He trembled, tears building in his eyes as he looked about.  
His hallway, built of blue steel; he could see that.  
His beloved disguise tubes; he could see those too.  
His fluffy abomination of an armchair; he could _plainly_ see that.  
“I…can see?” He said in a hushed voice, a tear escaping him.  
He took in the room, looking around with giddy joy.  
“I CAN SEE!” He shouted happily, dancing about and cheering until his back creaked in protest. He groaned, rubbing his back, but tried to not let it distract him from his celebration.  
“I-I have to tell Sportacus!” He said cheerily, rushing towards the ladder without changing from his pajamas.

Robbie, for the first time potentially in his life, leapt and skipped through the streets, announcing to everyone he passed by his joyous news.  
“HEY KIDS! I CAN SEE AGAIN!” He announced with a wide grin.  
“You can see again??” asked Stephanie in surprise.  
“You can actually skip?” grumbled Stingy, rubbing his eyes tiredly.  
Robbie’s frolic ended at the sports park, where he took in the bright greens and vibrant flowers with teary eyes and unbridled wonder.  
“Oh it’s so amazing! Everything is so beautiful, and I don’t care how annoyingly sunny today is because it’s so wonderful!” Robbie gushed, tears rolling down his cheeks.  
“Robbie! That’s fantastic news!” Ziggy said, rushing over to hug the villain.  
Robbie let out a startled squawk before he finally, hesitantly, returned the boy’s hug. He was slightly less pleased as he became the center of a group hug that included the five kids and the two other adults in town, all joyous for his recovery.  
After Robbie finally managed to pry himself from the less than welcome group hug, he laughed and smiled at the group.  
“H-Has anyone seen Sportacus today? I have to find him and tell him the good news!” Robbie said.  
“I don’t think he’s shown up yet!” said Pixel.  
“But you could send him a letter!” Stephanie suggested, offering Robbie a mailing tube.  
Robbie, smiling, took the tube and gave his thanks to Stephanie before walking towards the mailing air-cannon. He pulled out a piece of scrap paper and wrote a quick note down:

_Sportacus,_

_Come down quick! Something amazing has happened._

_-R_

Sliding the note into the cannon, he fired it up into the air and waited.  
A minute passed.  
Then two.  
Then five.  
Then ten.  
And with each passing minute, Robbie’s smile fell more.  
“I don’t get it? Doesn’t Sportaloon respond immediately?” asked Robbie.  
“Maybe he got up late?” Trixie weakly suggested with a shrug.  
Robbie frowned, shaking his head.  
“Hey wait! There’s the airship!” said Ziggy, pointing towards the horizon.  
The group looked towards where Ziggy pointed, watching as the airship sailed through the sky and stopped right above the park.  
A ladder unfurled from the ship, and soon came Sportacus, who descended at a speed much slower than his usual pace.  
The kids rushed ahead, gathering around their beloved hero.  
“Sportacus! Guess what? Something amazing happened while you were gone!” Stephanie said with a grin.  
“Y-Yeah! It’s really amazing! Something scientifically impossible!” said Pixel with a grin.  
Sportacus gave a weary but surprised look as he glanced over at Robbie.  
Robbie pushed through the cluster of child and pulled Sportacus closer, pressing a kiss against his lips.  
“Eww.” Stingy muttered, sticking out his tongue.  
“About time they stopped being awkward in public.” Said Trixie.

Robbie pulled away and gave the warmest smile to Sportacus.  
“Sportacus, my sight is back. I don’t know how but it is and…and I’m just so happy to see you.” He said, cupping the hero’s face.  
Sportacus smiled back, looking warmly at the villain and soaking in his genuine smile.  
“And…I just wanted to say how sorry I am. About yesterday.” Robbie said, his smile faltering. “I was so terrible to you, and I shouldn’t have yelled. I didn’t mean all the things I said, and I wanted to apologize. You were just trying to help me, and I just got mad. You didn’t deserve that.”  
Sportacus’s gaze grew sad and he shook his head, brushing a stray hair from Robbie’s forehead.  
“But you didn’t! You really didn’t. I was awful and I’m sorry. Do you forgive me?” He asked.  
Sportacus smiled sadly and nodded, as he traced his finger across Robbie’s cheekbone.   
Robbie’s expression grew confused. Alarm bells were ringing in his head.  
“S-Sportacus? Why…?” He began.  
“Children! Perhaps we should give Mr. Rotten and Sportacus a little room? Maybe we could plan a party to celebrate Mr. Rotten’s miraculous recovery!” suggested Mayor Meanswell as he herded the children away from the two men.  
The kids, their concern growing, at first refused to leave. Only after further urges from Mayor Meanswell and Ms. Busybody did they all reluctantly leave Robbie and Sportacus alone.

Robbie and Sportacus watched the group until they disappeared around the corner. Once Robbie turned to look at Sportacus, his face paled once he noticed the shift in Sportacus’s expression. The warm smile was gone, instead replaced by a deep, tired sadness and a layer of guilt.  
“Sportacus, why are you so quiet? Is everything okay?” asked Robbie nervously.  
Sportacus silently chuckled, his eyes watering as he gave a small, sad smile. His gaze remained averted until he sighed, looking up with a saddened gaze at Robbie.  
Robbie’s body began to tremble.  
“Sportacus, you’re scaring me. What’s going on? What’s wrong?” Robbie asked, his voice growing quiet.  
Sportacus’s expression was strained as he gently took the villain’s hand. He guided it up towards Robbie’s eyes and he tapped at their sides.  
“M-My eyes…my sight?” asked Robbie.  
Sportacus nodded, then let go of Robbie’s hand. He held up the gesture for the number four.  
“Four…” Robbie said.  
Sportacus shook his head, then gestured to Robbie’s eyes once more before holding up the number gesture.  
“My sight for…” Robbie said, his voice a near whisper from his nervousness.  
Sportacus nodded slowly then, with a shaking hand, he pointed at his throat.  
“My sight for your…your…” Robbie pondered, before he froze, the horrifying realization hit him.  
The world seemed to stop in that moment, and he looked in stunned horror at the hero.  
“Y-You traded away your voice for my sight?” He asked, hoping he wasn’t correct.  
Sportacus gave a strained, close-lipped smile, then slowly nodded.

Robbie’s breath caught in his throat as he struggled to comprehend what Sportacus had just confirmed. The blood had completely drained from his face and his body shivered and shook, tears building in his eyes.  
Sportacus could see his villain’s distress, and he tried to reach out to hug Robbie, only to be rebuffed.  
“How? How long? How long did you trade your voice away for Sportacus??” asked Robbie.  
Sportacus cringed, then began to uncurl his fingers in a counting gesture.  
“Five years? Ten? Twenty?”  
Sportacus paused, his gaze falling to the ground. The guilt emanated from his very being, and Robbie knew the answer.  
“Oh…oh Sportacus…” He started, tears rolling down his cheeks, a choked sob escaping his throat. He collapsed into Sportacus’s arms and cried terribly.  
The hero tried his best to comfort him, but without his voice he could offer no words of solace.  
“I-I didn’t mean...! Please _please_ tell me you didn’t think I wanted you to shut up forever! I-I’m sorry! I didn’t, I’ll…I’ll give back my sight just please…please don’t tell me you thought…” He sobbed.  
A finger pressed against his lips, and Sportacus tilted his head up. Robbie saw Sportacus shake his head, tears in his own eyes.  
Slowly he mouthed the words:  
“ _I never did. I hoped you wouldn’t think that. I didn’t give up my voice because of what you said._ ”

Robbie, catching most of the hero’s words, sniffled and stared in confusion.  
“T-Then why? Why did you give up your voice for the rest of your life? Why would you do that for me??” He asked, his sentence interrupted by hiccups.  
Sportacus looked at Robbie sadly, tears rolling down his face as he cupped Robbie’s cheek. His sadness was punctuated with an affectionate look.  
Slowly, even more slowly then he had previously, he mouthed four simple words.  
“ _Because I love you_.”

Robbie stared at the hero, partially in disbelief and partially in shock. His expression began to crumble, however, and he soon devolved into another spell of tears. He held the hero close and buried his face into his shoulder, soaking the fabric with his crying.  
Sportacus returned his hug and gently stroked the back of his head, but he couldn’t stop his own tears from staining Robbie’s bathrobe.  
“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry…” wept Robbie.  
Sportacus hushed Robbie and hugged him tighter, his fingers tangling in Robbie’s hair. He shook his head and uttered soundless words of assurance, hoping that maybe one would meet Robbie’s ear and he’d understand it.  
But he couldn’t. He couldn’t hear a thing that Sportacus tried to say.  
Anything Sportacus _wanted_ to say.  
And at that moment, it hit Sportacus too just what he’d done.  
What he’d given up.  
The words he’d never be able to say in his own voice.  
And so he buried his own face into Robbie’s robe, allowing himself to join his boyfriend in weeping.

**Author's Note:**

> So did everyone have fun with a nice, heavy angst fic? Felt good to write a self-contained one for once XD
> 
> And yes the title is from a lyric from "The Healing Incantation" from Tangled.
> 
> Thank you to @margiepm for sending in this request, I had fun with it. And thank you to @otterlydeerlightful for previewing this fic and allowing me to break their heart over and over again XD
> 
> Thank you everyone for reading!


End file.
